Serie A Goalkeepers Lead Europe in Penalty Shot Save Percentage

Serie A leads Europe in saving penalties but also in how often those penalties are awarded. The league’s early adoption of Video Assistant Referee (VAR) technology plays a significant role, according to Italian soccer journalist Macro Corradi:

“There are more penalties than in other leagues because Serie A is the most VAR-driven league. Sometimes, they give absolutely awkward penalty kicks. VAR has shifted the game dynamic, resulting in scenarios where penalty calls may seem excessive.”

Corradi also points to a unique training culture that focuses intensely on goalkeeping. Italian clubs dedicate entire sessions to penalty defense, from reading a player’s body language to mastering split-second reactions. The flip side is that penalty takers in Italy may receive less specialized attention, leaving them more prone to nerves when the pressure is on. As Corradi puts it:

“Working on penalties is like a religion for goalkeeper coaches in Italy. There’s a lot of emphasis on goalkeepers, while penalty-takers receive less attention during training. This explains why Serie A goalkeepers excel, but penalty takers often struggle under high pressure.”

Interestingly, the English Premier League—the world’s most-watched soccer competition—has the lowest penalty save percentage among the major European leagues, just 16.27%. Why might England’s top-tier fare so poorly? 

Some point to the sheer depth of clinical penalty-takers like Chelsea’s Cole Palmer, who has gone 12 for 12 on penalty kicks for a 100% success rate, or Raul Jiminez, who also has not missed on 10 penalty kicks attempted. 

It’s a puzzling trend. Soccer fans even voted on RG's X profile that the Premier League has the best goalkeepers. But at least for penalty kicks, this couldn’t be further from the truth.

Gianluigi Donnarumma saves a shot. (Photo by Lars Baron/Getty Images)

Four goalkeepers have outperformed their respective league’s penalty kick save rates and deserve mention. 

1. Gianluigi Donnarumma strengthens the argument for Italian supremacy in penalty shot save percentage. Albeit, minding the net for France’s Paris Saint Germain (PSG, Ligue 1), Donnarumma has the best penalty shot save percentage of all 96 teams across five leagues, with 28.32% of penalty shots saved over the last five seasons. His performance against penalty kicks is far superior to the Ligue 1 average of 17.19%. 
2. Wojciech Szczęsny has proven a formidable presence between the posts, especially in high-pressure penalty scenarios. The Juventus goalkeeper has achieved an impressive 25.54% save rate against penalties, well above the league average (21.40%). 
3. In the Bundesliga, Manuel Neuer (Bayern Munich captain and goalkeeper) is widely regarded as the greatest goalkeeper ever. During our timeframe, his save average against penalty kicks was 22.66%, which is higher than the average in Germany (19.13).
4. Mike Maignan (AC Milan) has been a dependable figure in goal during his time in Serie A. From 2020 to 2021, he was with Lille in Ligue 1, where his performances earned him the reputation of being one of Europe’s top keepers, leading to his transfer to AC Milan in 2021. Over the 2020/21–2024/25 timeframe, Maignan faced an average of 4 penalties per season, saving 21.46% of them.

When looking at the factors that influence penalty shots, we were able to get a central insight from Liam Stewart, the Chief Scout for Scottish club Elgin City, who sheds light on the matter:

"Time between decision and penalty being taken, highlighted recently in the Burnley match (Jan. 17, 2025) funnily enough. The longer the penalty taker takes to kick, the more time for the pressure to build; the keeper to read his body language, and therefore make a better read on the shot."

Pressure is a main player in penalty shots, but the odds are stacked against the goalkeeper from the start. This is mainly due to the fact that a goalkeeper only has milliseconds to react to a penalty kick on a goal that is 24 feet wide and 8 feet tall against a kick from just 12 yards away. That kick is also fast — traveling, on average, at 70 mph.

Over the last five seasons, Serie A has solidified its reputation as Europe’s leader in penalty defense. Its remarkable 21.40% save rate is the highest among the continent's top leagues. Italian goalkeepers owe this success to a culture deeply rooted in specialized training and a tactical emphasis on penalty defense.

Though Gianluigi Donnarumma now plays in Ligue 1 for Paris Saint-Germain, his unmatched 28.32% penalty save rate across all leagues underscores his status as Europe’s best goalkeeper against penalty kicks. Meanwhile, Serie A keepers like Wojciech Szczęsny (25.54%) and Mike Maignan (21.46%) consistently outperform their league average, showcasing the strength of Italian goalkeeping development.

While leagues like the Premier League struggle with low save rates and clinical penalty-takers, Serie A remains the gold standard for penalty-stopping brilliance. With unparalleled statistics and standout individual performances, Serie A proves that in the battle of the penalty spot, Italy’s goalkeepers are in a league of their own.